Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 26, No. 3/4. April/July 1965
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BULLETIN OF THE MASSACI-IUSETTS ARCI-IAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. 26 NOS. 3 and 4 APRIL - JULY, 1965 CONTENTS Page THE BOATS SITE, EXCAVATION NO.2 EDWABD F. ROSE . 33 A BIRDSTONE RECOVERY IN RHODE ISLAND WILLIAM S. FoWLER 39 THE SEMAN SITE: A NEW YORK STATE EXCAVATION PJm..Ip W. JOHANNESSON AND A1mruR C. GLAMM, JR. 44 SIGNIFICANT CERAMIC PIPE RECOVERIES WILLIAM S. FOWLER 49 BITTER ROCK SHELTER: A SThATIFIED CONNECTICUT SITE BERNABD W. POWELL 53 DISCOVERY: AN IMPELLI G FORCE I RESEARCH EDITORIAL 64 PUBLISHED BY THE MASSACHUSmS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. SOCIETY OFFICE, Bronson Museum, 8 No. Main Street, Attleboro, Mass. PEnIOO!CALS DEPT. THE CLfMf iT C. f"AXt', [11_ L1~f!. r;\ Sr!.1~ ,Lr:"E BRIDGE "T'Ii, M/'\;)~ .CHUvElTS MASSACHUSETIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS President Harold F. Nye Marion, Mass. First Vice President Donald C. Wilder 86 Brewster Avenue, South Braintree 85, Mass. Second Vice President William B. Brierly 9 Hawthorne Street, Millbury, Mass. Secretary Maurice Robbins Bronson Museum, Attleboro, Mass. Financial Secretary Mabel A. Robbins 23 Steere Street, Attleboro, Mass. Treasurer Arthur C. Staples Segreganset, Mass. Editor William S. Fowler Bronson Museum, Attleboro, Mass. Trustees Society Officers and 2 Last PliS~ Presidents Walter Thomas, Jr. Edward G. Bielski Robert A. Martin Frank Kremp Robert E. Valyou George S. Gibb MASSACHUSETIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN, pub lished in four Numbers of one Volume each year, commencing in October. Price this issue $1.50 (Subscription by membership in the Society: $3.(0) Note: Address aU requests concerning membership to the Secretary; aU orders for back BuUetin numbers (4 for $1.00 to members) to the Editor; and mail Society dues to the Financial Secretary. Exception: Classification No., Vol. 25, #1 - $1.00 to members, $1.50 to non-members. BRONSON MUSEUM Tel. 222-5470 This is the Society's museum, 5th Floor of the 8 North Main Street Building, Attleboro, Mass. -Museum hours are from 9:30 to 4:30, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. For special arrangements to visit on other days, contact the Director, Maurice Robbins, or the Curator, William S. Fowler at the Society Office, Bronson Museum, Attleboro, Mass. The Museum includes exhibits of artifacts and seven dioramas portraying man's prehistoric occupation of New England. The displays are arranged so as to show man's development through four culture stages, from early post glacial times. The most recent diorama extends 15 feet across the front of the museum. It depicts an Archaic village of seven large and unique wigwams as indicated by their foundations, excavated at Assowampsett Lake by the Cohannet Chapter. Human figures to scale make the scene come alive and help create what unquestionably is an outstanding addition to our ever growing museum displays. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2010 Massachusetts Archaeological Society. AN ADDITIONAL TYPE FOR THE PROJECTILE POINT CLASSIFICATION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Recently, it has come to our attention that a projectile point type, new to the New England area, has appeared at the Coburn site on Cape Cod, Society Bulletin, Vol. 22, #3 & 4 (Fig. 5, #10) and as illustrated. At the time of publication, its style was noted as possibly foreign, but since then certain Adena publications have given us a new outlook and a growing belief that this type, which we have named - Side-notched #8 - should be included in our classification. In New York State, Ritchie's classification lists it as "Turkey Tail." In Mounds for the Dead, Dragoo refers to it as Side-notched, double-pointed blade or "turkey tail." He links it to the Red Ochre Culture of Illinois and adjoining states includ ing Ohio, where it is allied to the early phase of Adena of the Late Archaic. At the Coburn site, it was associated with the Full Groved ax and projectile point types of the Late Archaic of the Stone Bowl industrial epoch. Also, a suggested counterpart appeared at the Boats site in Dighton with deposits of red ochre and the Full Grooved ax. Therefore, it is being added to the Society's classification, with Late Archaic affiliation. This point usually appears as a relatively large blade 5-6" long - although it might appear in shorter lengths. Its form is symmetrical and leaf-like with a point at both ends, the basal end being side-notched. This often occurs nearer the pointed base and with more definition than as shown by the Coburn site illustration - of red felsite. The chipping is uniformly done with meticulous care, which seems to be an outstanding trait. ~----------_O'--------'~"'~C~H'~_~e~------~----------~ SIDE-NOTCHED #8. Tear out and aHach to your Implement Classifica tion Bulletin, Vol. 25, No. I. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling,loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2010 Massachusetts Archaeological Society. 33 THE BOATS SITE, EXCAVATION NO. 2 EDWARD F. ROSE This site is situated at a well-known location, and Taunton on the west side of the Taunton river in where immense quantities of artifacts have been Dighton, Massachusetts (Fig. 1). Directly in front recovered as surface finds, over an extended period of and lying well out in the river is Grassy Island, excava a hundred years or more. The area has been under tion of which has already been reported some years cultivation for many generations, and during the last ago by Frederick Johnson of the R. F. Peabody Foun fifty years has suffered further disturbance. Along a dation of Andover. The land at the Boats site rises two or three hundred foot front, paralleling the Taun gradually from about a 10' elevation above tidewater ton River, dynamite removal of numerous large and levels off over most of the field, except for three boulders caused an upheaval of the area. This doubt low knolls. The center knoll, selected for Excavation less lifted early artifacts from low levels, and mixed No.2, as reported in this paper, has an elevation of them with those of later times, while the plow tended about 15' above tidewater. The knoll to the north to spread them about the field. This may account for Excavation No.1 - composed mostly of gravel, was recovery of Archaic artifacts with those of Ceramic excavated previously by the writer and reported in: times indiscriminately scattered over the plowed field. "Five Unusual Caches at the Boats Site," Bulletin of Furthermore, in more recent days, power plowing to a the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 14, depth of 12" has evidently cut into remains of the Late No.4. Subsequently, these caches have been shown Archaic and lifted them to the surface. Private collec to be secondary cremation burials of the Late Archaic tions amounting to thousands of specimens apiece in the Stone Bowl industrial era. The third knoll to have come from this field, which acquired its name the south, not illustrated, is yet to be excavated at from several old scows, abandoned and sunk in river some future date. silt at one end of the plowed area. Due to comparatively recent discontinuation of The site lies about half way between Fall River surface cultivation of the field by the owner, Frank a Fig. 1. THE BOATS SITE, showing excavations Nos. 1 and 2. 34 MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Dutra, permission was generously granted by him to that this paper is concerned primarily with a study of excavate in such a way, as to obtain as reliable evidence uncovered below junction, in which two information as possible about its former occupants. early cultures are well defined. From this it may be The writer gratefully acknowledges this grant to seen that the work of excavation was carefully con excavate, and since 1959, when operations started, has trolled, using accepted methods of operation. returned each summer to continue the work. He selected the central knoll, presumed to be the most ARCHAEOLOGICAL STRATIGRAPHY productive area, for excavation, since it was slightly As formerly noted, plow disturbance occupies higher than the others, and was somewhat removed about 12" of loam cover. Below its termination at from the boulder dynamiting, previously referred to. junction extends a heavy black occupational deposit He has carried on the excavation single handed on a another 12" in depth, probably, a mixture of much daily work basis, during a month's vacation each year, charcoal, decayed organic refuse, and sand. Directly except for valuable assistance received on numerous below this black layer, which varies in thickness to occasions from Elmer Wood, another Society member. some extent, occurs yellow sand subsoil to a depth of While only about a quarter of the knoll has been 12 or 15", underlaid by a deposit of clay silt. Artifacts excavated up to date, enough valuable evidence has appear sparsely, if at all in the loam, due to previous come to light to make a report seem desirable at extensive surface collecting, but occur in quantity this time. throughout the black occupational layer, with only a few appearing in the upper part of the yellow sand EXCAVATION METHODS subsoil. These may have been forced down by acci dental pressures at the bottom of the black layer, such Work was started on the river side of the knoll as that from foot trampling, or water erosion. with excavation being extended about a large boulder, one of four, which are so located as to mark the four After a study of artifact types as related to their corners of the knoll.